Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are to star in Grace and Frankie, a new original series for the online streaming service Netflix. The single-camera comedy, which will consist of 13 half-hour episodes, focuses on the relationship between old rivals Grace (Fonda) and Frankie (Tomlin), whose husbands announce they are in love with each other and plan to get married.

The show has been written specifically for the pair by Howard J Morris (Sullivan and Son) and Marta Kaufmann, who created Friends, one of the most successful sitcoms of all time.

In addition to her lengthy cinematic career, Fonda recently appeared on the small screen in HBO’s The Newsroom, and was nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of CEO Leona Lansing. Tomlin has more experience in television, having starred in Desperate Housewives, Will & Grace, The West Wing, Damages and Eastbound & Down.

“Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are among the funniest and most formidable actresses ever and it’s an incredible privilege to give them the opportunity to run riot on Netflix,” said Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos.